The Palatka daily news. (Palatka, Fla.) 1884-1888, 1887-05-08
THAT BUNDLE.

and Miss Haven, a business man and his
daughter, came to America FOR three
months one April, and among other visits
they made one to mutual friends In the
town in which lived.
| called to see them the day after their
arrival. They We're out, and LETT town
without returning my call, as they were
there bat ~ day or two, and without see
ing me or any of my family. 1 Thought
but little of the matter, though i was
sorry to have missed them.
A month went by and one evening, just
at twilight, one of the ladies OF the family
whom they had visited-whom l will call
Smith for the sake of COMMUNICATING
i'll to see me, and said:
s.oh 7 only ran in for minutei I've
been irving to come for month to ask
Won why You never acknowledged the re-
ceipt of that bundle Mr.. Haven brought
over to You from Mrs. Bowen"
what bundIes' / said. Il never had
any bundles never knew that Mrs.
Bowen sent me any bundle"
why you must have it; you must for
get Mr. Haven sent it to you by the
Adams Express from New York soon
as lie landed, and he has thought it very
strange that you never acknowledged it.
And he has got SO vexed about 1t, and
thought it so rude of you not to thank
him for bringing il to you that he wouldn't
ask about it until now, just as he Is going
home again, for he wants to tell Mrs.
Bowen you received ii. )"
IL am awfully sorry" said; "but you
know couldn't very well write about a
bundle / never received and didn't know
had been sent
''What was in the bundle?'
My curiosity was very great, and l lis
tened eagerly for her answer. Visions OF
all sorts of beautiful things flashed through
my head-gloves, handkerchiefs, stockings,
perhaps even dress. Could it be a raw
fishing bonnet? / was all ears and all ex-
element.
Miss Haven said she didn't know what
was in the bundle, but she said it felt like
silks or satins. 1t wasn't n large bundle. !"
''Well." / said, ''now where under the
sun il that bundle?''
lit might possibly have gone to faith
er's." my husband remarked.
lie had dropped his usually all absorb
fng evening paper and was listening to us.
Your father's,'' I nearly shrieked
'"Dear mel if there is anything absolutely
detestable it is to live in n small town
and be the duplicate in name of your
mother-in- law with junior attached, which
all your friends forget and all your enc
mics as we'll Our dinners have gone to
your fathers, and they have eaten them.
They have stewed our cherished small
purchases of early Bermuda tomatoes for
Salads read my letters, been Mortified by
my bills, kept my dresses and bonnets a
week or SO until they found they were
mine, and now they have got my bundle.
/ wish"-and here l rose from my chair
to give emphasis to my words-''yes, l
do wish YOU had been named Nebuchad-
nezzar anything but what you are
named
Yes" said my husband, lit is annoy
ing certainly; but you know even my
mother would hardly have kept n bundle
three months. On the whole, it couldn't
have gone there"
l felt stern reproof in my husband s
voice, and | took refuge in remarking
tartly:
''Wcll what did you suggest il forf'
''If you will wait Mrs. Smith, " said my
husband. rising. I'm walk up to father 5
and inst find out positively if the bundle
went there or not. III it didn't, we must
inquire at the express Office. OF course it
will turn up"
So he went Off, and we sat and talked
until he came back, but when he did come
it was only to say:
They don't know anything about any
bundle"
We exclaimed, and wondered, and sur
missed for little while, and then my hus-
band went down town and inquired at the
express office. After he went Mrs. Smith
explained to- me that MIR. Haven, in his
frequent trips across the Atlantic, had been
SO bothered by frequent applications from
friends 10 take over to America various
bundles, sometimes of dutiable goods, which
he was expected to smuggle, that he had
for years made it a point to say "No'' to
all such requests from everybody, no matter
from whom they might come; but that my
Gi1 mai hnintr of this fact hpI
asked him II take the small bundle for
me, and that he had gladly done so. Miss
Haven had described the bundle to Mrs.
Smith IL was about ten inches long by
five wide, and was done up in gray wrap
ping paper, and was fully addressed to
me-state, city, street and number. Miss
Haven remembered the bundle wildly
because when Mrs. Bowen had sent word
that it was n small bundle, she judged
that it might perhaps fill up quarter of
n trunk of ordinary size, and 50 had
packed en- Of her trunks with reference
III IT, and was delightfully."- surprised when
she found that from her point of view 1t
really small bundle. 1t was the
only bundle they brought over not their
own. They had brought over two or three
gifts for friends, and all had been sent
away at tho same time from the Hotel
Brunswick in New York.
Here seemed a elew that / eagerly
caught.
''It may have gone rs n gift to one of
those friends who just acknowledged re-
eeiving their beautiful present, etc, and
didn't specify what article had been re-
ceived,' | sail.
''But," said Mrs. Smith, 1.-THE bundle
was addressed ~ You They never
changed il ut all. but just sent it off. F"
Well" | said. then the express COM
has ptfSslai1 or last IN mi il
would be real comfort To me to know
what was in that bundle"
Write 10 your sister and find out, :"
said Mrs. Smith
Brilliant idear' I sat down to my
desk and wrote two letters, one to my sis
ter in Paris, saying that had just learned
that she had sent me u brSdle by Mr..
Haven, and that it had never reached me.
As wrote il occurred to me that she had
intended the gift as surprise, and that
was the reason | had not known of it.
All this wrote, and begged her to answer
me mt once. This was Monday night, and
was going to New York the next day.
Mr.. Haven was to sail for Havre on the
next day but one, wrote a note to Mr..
Haven, who was TO return alone, stating
the facts about the bundle, that deeply
regretted to know that he had thought me
remiss in acknowledging his kindness,
etc; and added that the next day | was
going to New York and would he at the
Brevoort house. and that il he had time |
would be glad to see him there before he
sailed. Both letters were mailed that
night.
My husband came home, and said the
express office was shut up. and that ended
that question.
The next day when reached the Bre-
WORT found n note from Mr.. Haven
Unfortunately, l destroyed it that even
ing when answered it, for the note then
seemed - be of no consequence, and SO
can give the substance only. Ii said thai
Mr.. Haven was very sorry to learn from d
LETTER TINT he had iuSt receiYetl frnm hi,